Message alert broadcast broker system and method

ABSTRACT

A message alert broadcast broker and method for providing a broadcast message to a plurality of user devices located within a broadcast target area including a broadcast service bureau receiving from one of a plurality of coupled broadcast agent access systems providing a broadcast request from an originating broadcast agent associated one broadcast agent access system, the broadcast request including a broadcast agent identification, the geographically defined broadcast target area, a broadcast message, and a broadcast channel code, the broadcast service bureau verifying the broadcast request as a function of the broadcast agent identification including the authority of the originating broadcast agent to send the broadcast message to the broadcast target area using the broadcast channel code, the broadcast service bureau processing the verified broadcast request for transmission to one or more mobile telephone networks providing service to at least a portion of the broadcast target area of the broadcast request.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/057,704, filed Feb. 14, 2005, which is based on Provisional U.S.Application Ser. No. 60/544,739, filed Feb. 13, 2004, the entiredisclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to message broadcast systems and inparticular location-specific message broadcasting aggregator andgateways.

BACKGROUND

With the events of 9/11, there has been increased concern with theability of present systems for providing public service broadcasting ofmessages and warnings to the public. Existing public service warningsystems are antiquated and provide only limited access to the public whomay be in need of knowing of potential emergencies or danger.Additionally, existing systems do not provide for location-basednotification or broadcasting.

As such, there is a need for an improved method and system for providingtimely information to the public related to potential hazards affectingthem. One suggested solution is the utilization of thesubscription-based Short Message Service (SMS) messaging capability formass messaging using mobile telephones and compatible devices. However,SMS systems and technology have significant technical limitations andexperience with such systems has been disappointing due to significantdelays in the delivery of SMS messages and negative impacts to thenetworks due to congestion.

Short Message Service (SMS) is only offered or available on a limitedbasis. This is due to the limited technical and network support for theservice and is also due to the service being offered by Mobile ServiceProviders and wireless network providers on a subscription basis. Assuch, use of the SMS service capability for emergency broadcasting isvery limited.

Additionally, the use of SMS technology for broadcasting requiresenormous network infrastructure utilization. A telecommunication systemcan suffer from congestion, not only in its voice traffic channels, butalso in its narrow-band data channels as are used for the SMS service.To send an SMS message, network components are utilized to provide anSMS message call set up for each individual SMS message recipient. Inorder to send a single SMS message, all SMS message call processingprocedures have to be repeated for each and every message, one by one,for all intended recipients. A single SMS message requires signaling andprocessor capacity and utilization similar to that required to establisha voice call. As such, the impact on network resources for broadcastingSMS messages is the same as having thousands of phone users attempt toinitiate a voice call at the same time. Telecommunication networks arenot designed or deployed to handle such high levels of simultaneous callattempts.

When an SMS message is transmitted, the SMS message is signaled to anSMS center of the telecommunication service provider. The SMS centeracknowledges each and every requested SMS message individually andattempts to deliver the SMS message through an interrogation of the HomeLocation Register (HLR) of the telecommunication service. An HLR is adata base which registers or keeps track of the presence of a mobileunit user within the HLR's defined serving network. The HLR queries thedatabase and determines whether the intended SMS message recipient iscurrently attached to the network and if so, to which network switch theuser is attached. The HLR is queried using the telecommunicationsignaling network.

If an intended user is located or attached to a switch in thetelecommunication service provider's network, the particular networkswitch is signaled over the telecommunications signaling network to setup the SMS message call. That serving network switch of the mobilecarrier initiates a query or message attempt to every cell in thelocation area where the intended user's mobile unit was last known to beoperating. If the intended recipient is located in the particular cellarea, the mobile unit is paged. As such, potentially thousand of cellsare queried in order to determine the presence of an intended mobileunit. Each queried cell requires paging and calling capacity resourcesfor each mobile unit which is attempted to be paged. In some cases, ifthe mobile unit does not reply, the whole Mobile Service Carrier (MSC)area is paged which in many instances requires the paging of severalthousands of cells.

When the mobile unit replies by sending an access burst to the celltransceiver currently serving the mobile unit, the cell site allocates astand-alone dedicated control channel (SDCCH) to perform SMS call set upwith the mobile unit. Next, a cipher key is sent by the Home LocationRegister (HLR)/Authentication Center (AUC) to the mobile unit, assumingthat the mobile unit had previously activated the ciphering of thechannel. Once the cipher key is successfully received and acknowledged,the SMS message is sent over the control channel to the mobile unit. TheSMS message transmission utilizes about 5 seconds of control channeltime per SMS message.

If, however, the intended recipient is not located in the home servingarea of the HLR, then signaling message is sent to the serving mobilenetwork's Visitor Location Register (VLR). The VLR registers and tracksmobile unit users who are outside of their home location. In that case,the VLR is queried via the signaling network to verify that the user iscurrently attached to the remote switch.

Each SMS message is a narrow-cast message in that each message isgenerated and transmitted via the SMS Center to a particulartelecommunication user or unit. The SMS message is delivered, asdiscussed above, to the intended recipient by capable networks whereverthe intended recipient is located, independent of geographic area orlocation.

As such, SMS messaging for emergency-based messaging requires that SMSmessages be created and sent to each mobile unit even though theparticular user phone is not located in the particular geographic areain which the emergency is located. SMS service is not capable ofposition-specific messaging.

Additionally, SMS messaging requires considerable call processing loadon the telecommunication system and infrastructure considering that theabove process is multiplied by the demand of thousands or tens ofthousands of SMS call set up requests at the same time. The potentialinitiation of broadcast SMS volumes will not only affect networkresources for SMS messaging, but also negatively affect ability of thetelecommunication networks to set up and support voice traffic duringany period of message broadcasting as these resources are shared by bothservices.

As a further example of the limitation of existing solutions to messagebroadcasting, the well deployed Global Standard for MobileCommunications (GSM) system typically deploys in a single GSM cellseveral transceivers. A typical GSM cell configuration includes between6 and 12 transceivers. Each such transceiver includes 8-timeslots. Eachtimeslot supports a single phone call.

In such an arrangement, one of the transceivers is selected to be theSMS carrier. The SMS carrier transceiver is arranged differently, havingone timeslot dedicated to broadcast SMS messages and paging and anotherone which is utilized to from 8 control channels which are referred toas Stand-Alone Dedicated Control Channels (SDCCH). The SDCCH carry outcontrol and call set-up functions and carry the SMS traffic which is notnormally handled by the traffic channels on the other timeslots.

However, in this prior art system, SMS and Wireless Access Protocol(WAP) messaging utilize capacity on these channels making themunavailable for other purposes such as voice call set up. Additionally,each of the SDCCH channels can only handle a limited number of SMSand/or paging calls. As such, during heavy messaging, the related highvolumes of messaging traffic may have a negative affect on otherservices including the set up of voice calls.

To compensate for these and other SMS messaging limitations, dynamicchannel allocation was developed. Dynamic channel allocation utilizes anadditional traffic channel which is converted into another 8 controlchannels for the duration of the peak SMS or paging loads. However, thisresults in the loss of the traffic channel for voice communications.

Further strategies have included the immediate assignment to a trafficchannel. In this system, when a voice call is attempted, the voice callis sent to a traffic channel directly where signaling will be performedon the traffic channel. This, however, occupies the traffic channel fora longer time than would otherwise be the case. There is a limit on thenumber of traffic channels that can utilize this feature. In most cases,only one traffic channel is converted thereby only limited the solutionto 8 new SDCCH channels. The impact of call failure due to controlchannel depends on the traffic capacity of the cell. In high densitycells, when a large quantity of SMS messaging traffic is offered,congestion occurs due to the each cell having over one hundred trafficchannels within the cell.

In operation, the telecommunication service provider addresses thislimitation by throttling the SMS messaging rate so that it is manageableand does not create congestion problems. However, such message loadmanagement negatively impacts the opportunity for using SMS messagingfor broadcasting emergency messages to users of those networks.Throttling often significantly delays the delivery of the SMS message,even though it's timing delivery in an emergency is critical.Furthermore, if a message fails to be delivered, the SMS centerrepeatedly attempts to deliver the message, thereby causing furthercongestion and message backlog.

Additionally, as discussed SMS messaging is not location based and doesnot send messages to intended recipients located within a definedgeographic location. Since many telecommunication users will be messagesindependent of their location, many of the generated SMS messages aresent to users who are not in the intended area.

In the alternative, some next-generation phone systems include a basiccell-based broadcasting capability, e.g., GMS, CDMA and UMTS. In suchsystems, the cell broadcasting capability allocates a portion of eachtimeslot bandwidth capacity in each cell as a reserved broadcasttimeslot. While the cell broadcast capability in included in many newequipment being deployed, cell broadcasting systems and services havenot been developed which effectively utilize the technology.

SUMMARY

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide one or moreimprovements over the prior art.

In one aspect, a message alert broadcast broker for providing abroadcast message to a plurality of user devices located within abroadcast target area, the system including a broadcast service bureaucommunicatively coupled for receiving from one of a plurality of coupledbroadcast agent access systems providing a broadcast request from anoriginating broadcast agent associated one broadcast agent accesssystem, the broadcast request including a broadcast agentidentification, the geographically defined broadcast target area, abroadcast message, and a broadcast channel code, the broadcast servicebureau configured for verifying the broadcast request as a function ofthe broadcast agent identification including the authority of theoriginating broadcast agent to send the broadcast message to thebroadcast target area using the broadcast channel code, the broadcastservice bureau processing the verified broadcast request fortransmission to one or more mobile telephone networks providing serviceto at least a portion of the broadcast target area of the broadcastrequest.

In another aspect, a public service message broadcast service bureausystem providing a broadcast message to a network transmission deviceserving a broadcast target area, the system including a webpage serverconfigured for receiving broadcast agent input from a broadcast agentincluding a broadcast request having a geographically defined broadcasttarget area defined as a subset of a broadcast transmission servingarea, the broadcast message, and at least one broadcast channel code;and a computer hosting the webpage over the first communicationinterface, said computer receiving the broadcast agent input, verifyingan authority of the particular broadcast agent to transmit the broadcastmessage to the broadcast target area and transmitting over the secondcommunication interface the broadcast request to one or more carrierbroadcast centers serving one or more local broadcast transmissionsystems, the carrier broadcast centers receiving the broadcast request,converting the broadcast target area to network addresses of networktransmission devices serving the broadcast target area includingdetermining only those particular network transmission devices servingat least a portion of the broadcast target area, and identifying thenetwork addresses for each particular network transmission device andtransmitting the broadcast message to the network addresses of theparticular network transmission devices for transmission by theparticular network transmission devices over broadcast channelsassociated with the broadcast channel codes in the broadcast request.

Yet in another aspect, a method of public service broadcast messaging toa broadcast target area, the method including hosting a broadcast agentwebpage; receiving a broadcast request including a geographicallydefined broadcast target area, a broadcast message and one or morebroadcast channel codes from the broadcast agent webpage; verifying anauthority of a broadcast agent accessing the broadcast agent webpage andgenerating the broadcast message, the verifying a broadcast messagejurisdiction of the broadcast agent includes the defined broadcasttarget area; determining which network providers have networks thatprovide service to at least a portion of the broadcast target area;converting the broadcast target area to network addresses of one or morenetwork transmission devices for one or more of the determined networkproviders, said converting including determining the networktransmission devices providing transmission service to at least aportion of the broadcast target area and identifying the network addressfor each determined network transmission device; and transmitting thebroadcast message to the network addresses of the determined networktransmission devices of the associated network providers fortransmission of the broadcast message over broadcast channels associatedwith the broadcast channel code to user receiving devices geographicallylocated within the transmission service area and that are configured forreceiving messages on the associated broadcast channels.

Further aspects of the present disclosure will become apparent from thedetailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood thatthe detailed description and specific examples, while indicating thepreferred embodiment of the disclosure, are intended for purposes ofillustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of thedisclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present disclosure will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a public service messagelocation broadcast system according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a second functional block diagram of a public service messagelocation broadcast system according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for an admission control process within thepublic service message location broadcast system service bureauaccording to one embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a screen shot of the Broadcast Agent Portal Webpage.

FIG. 5 is a screen shot of the Broadcast Agent Portal Webpageillustrating a Broadcast Agents initial designation of a targetbroadcast area.

FIG. 6 is a screen shot of the Broadcast Agent Portal Webpageillustrating use of a shape tool to refine the designation of a targetbroadcast area.

FIG. 7 is a screen shot of the Broadcast Agent Portal Webpageillustrating a library of foot print or predefined target broadcastareas.

FIG. 8 is a screen shot of the Broadcast Agent Portal Webpageillustrating a dialogue box enabling the Broadcast Agent to create amessage and parameters of the Broadcast Request.

FIG. 9 a screen shot of the Broadcast Agent Portal Webpage illustratinga library of target broadcast areas and a library of messages.

FIG. 10 is a screen shot of the Broadcast Agent Portal Webpageillustrating a Broadcast Agent Confirmation Entry prompt/window.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is in no wayintended to limit the disclosure, its application, or uses.

The public service message location broadcasting system (PLBS) accordingto one or more embodiments provide for an improved system and method forpublic service broadcast messaging. A public service message locationbroadcasting system (PLBS) operator provides a Broadcast Agent WebPortal or Webpage or other similar GUI interface, implementation andmaintenance of the networks' cell-broadcast messaging components,networks and platforms, administration and operation of the publicservice message location broadcasting system, and interfaces to localtelecommunication service providers including mobile unit serviceproviders.

According to one embodiment in the event of a serious public emergency,a short text message is sent over the location broadcast channel. Amobile unit or Broadcast Agent phone which is configured to receivelocation broadcast messages, which is in the idle mode and which islocated in the predefined cell receives the broadcast message anddisplays the message on its screen.

Location broadcasting is transmitted from the predefined cell in adownlink only mode and therefore does not require functionality ornetwork resources from the mobile services provider or from their anyportion of the mobile service provider's mobility management resources,e.g., HLR, VLR, etc.

Public service message location broadcasting system provides for thesimultaneous sending of public service messages to millions ofsubscribers with less impact on the supporting networks than a singleSMS-message. As such, minimal to no network congestion will result.

A public service message location broadcasting system (PLBS) receivesemergency or public service messaging and identification of the targetbroadcast area from public service or government entities. The PLBSprovides location broadcast message enablement, security andmulti-carrier interoperability and connectivity to the telecommunicationservice providers offering services within the target broadcast area.

A public service message location broadcasting system and methodaccording to one or more embodiments provides for the development,transmission, delivery and display of a message that is an officialgovernment-to-citizen information broadcast to all compatibletelecommunication receiving devices in, or entering, an predefinedat-risk geographic location or area.

The PLBS system sends any public service or emergency informationassociated with any event, determined by authorized messaging entitiesthat may affect public safety. These include utility outages, missingchild alerts, severe weather warnings, flood warnings, and terroristthreat warnings. The messages are broadcast by public service messagelocation broadcasting systems participating with local telecommunicationnetworks.

Unlike other emergency messaging services that require the recipient'sidentity, a predetermined fixed delivery location, and usually thepayment of a service fee, public service message location broadcastingsystem uses broadcast messaging technology to reach an unlimited numberof people in real time, with no pre-event subscriber action required.

Public service message location broadcasting system uses cell-broadcastSMS (C-BSMS) technology to provide a message or alert to a single cellgeographic location, a neighborhood, a city, or an entire nation withminimal impact to the hosting telecommunication networks.

Local telecommunications service providers such as mobile or cellulartelephone service providers provide the local infrastructure anddeployed technologies to enable the service message locationbroadcasting system to transmit public messages in a timely manner tothe public that may be at risk using a standard and commonplace mobiletelephone unit.

The public service message location broadcast system and methodsdescribed herein provide the functions and steps necessary to ensurethat the Broadcast Agents are authorized to send the requested broadcastmessages to the defined broadcast target area. The PLBS configurationdescribed herein provide for internal controls for insuring that thenetwork and components are secure and that messages are authorized priorto transmittal. The public service message location broadcast systemprovides the interface to the Broadcast Agents to ensure simple andtimely definition of the broadcast target area, the message and theauthentication of the Broadcast Agent. The public service messagelocation broadcast system also provides the interconnectivity andfunctionality for interface or the number telecommunication serviceproviders which provide for the delivery of the broadcast message to thebroadcast target area.

The public service message location broadcasting system consists of fiveparts:

-   -   1. Public Service Location Broadcast Service Bureau    -   2. Broadcast Agent Terminal/Web Portal/Web Page    -   3. Public Service Broadcast Controller    -   4. Carrier Broadcast Center    -   5. Public Service Location Broadcast Reporter

The Public Service Location Broadcast Service Bureau (PLB-SB) is locatedat a PLBS Operators location which is preferably secure. The PLBS-SBensures the authenticity of the message and the authority of the senderto create such a message. Administrative Operators establish the UserProfile in the Administration Subsystem to control Broadcast Agentrights and privileges. The signal from the Broadcast Agent Terminal, forexample, at the police station, to the PLBS-SB, would only indicate thegeographical area to be covered, plus the message. PLBS-SB then sendsthe broadcast request signal to the Carrier Broadcast Center at theoffice of each local carrier concerned.

PLBS-SB may also perform a billing gateway administrative function asmay be required to allocate costs. PLBS-SB can utilize stored locationbroadcast messaging data and may have access, in one embodiment, to thegeographical coverage requested by the Public Service Broadcast Agent.PLBS-SB may be configured to determined or calculate population densityof the broadcast area. PLBS-SB may also manage customer account data,authentication, security, and administration and application ofrestrictions on a customer, jurisdiction, or Broadcast Agent.

For each account, a Broadcast Agent Administrator is appointed. A personof whose authority is recognized, such as a police chief or city managerwould be suitable for such a role, though he may likely delegate this tosomeone in the Information Technology services group. The BroadcastAgent Administrator (or his delegate) has under his control severalBroadcast Agent accounts, which have authority under him, but on noaccount greater. For example, the jurisdiction of a Broadcast Agent iswithin that of a Broadcast Agent Administrator.

Using the PLBS-SB, an Administrative Operator checks and/or verifies theauthenticity of the Broadcast Agent Administrator and defines orvalidates the jurisdictional area of the Broadcast Agent's organization.The Administrative Operator administers customer and agent profileswithin the PLBS Service Bureau System. The Administrative Operator hassecure access for administering the operational and administrative dataand profiles for operation of the PLBS-SB. Best practices and Memorandaof Understanding (MOU) are defined by government agencies and/or localcarriers. For example, a Coast Guard commander may have access only tocostal areas, though the area would be very large. In another example, aRiver Authority manager would have a guideline indicating that he couldwarn of imminent flooding, but not urge people to shower less. The riverauthority Jurisdiction may include only rivers, waterways and floodplains.

Any data and/or factor may be input to the PLBS-SB by the AdministrativeOperator and used by the PLBS-SB for system operation. Each BroadcastAgent Administrator has an account to which the Broadcast Agent belongs.The account is updated to indicate usage accumulated by the BroadcastAgent Administrator. Factors and data recorded include:

-   -   1. Language or Languages for warnings    -   2. Broadcast Agent Administrator account holder contact details    -   3. Total number of messages broadcast    -   4. Total Pops reached    -   5. Mess-Pops figure (number of messages times the pops reached)    -   6. Log, (Each broadcast is recorded on the account for later        review)    -   7. Date of expiry of contract    -   8. Which networks are permitted for this Broadcast Agent        Administrator?    -   9. Which channel numbers are allowed?    -   10. Message, Footprint and Broadcast libraries    -   11. Jurisdictional limits    -   12. Pop limits    -   13. Message length limits    -   14. Language for web portal    -   15. Report parameters and addresses    -   16. Admissions rules and operational events such as denials of        service.

In some circumstances a report in the form of an e-mail or web-page maybe sent or made available to the Administrative Operator and/or theBroadcast Agent Administrator. Such a report may include a warning thatthe account credit is about to expire, or the status of an account oractivity. Such reports may be defined or requested or provided one aregular or specified interval.

Service may be automatically denied to a Broadcast Agent or BroadcastAgent Administrator who has exceeded his quota.

In other cases information about account status may be signaled to theBroadcast Agent at log on and when proposing messages. This may causethe Broadcast Agent to think again about conserving his quota if near tohis limit.

The PLBS-SB may also define broadcast message jurisdiction is ageographical area for a particular Broadcast Agent Administrator andassociated Broadcast Agents. Broadcast Message Jurisdiction may defineany number of factors, data, or services. A first is definition orallocation of geographic territory or areas to be accessed or displayedin map format to the Broadcast Agents of the Broadcast AgentAdministrator. Additional, all or a portion of the Broadcast MessageJurisdiction may be enabled or disabled for defining one or morebroadcast message target areas or “Broadcast Target Area/Footprints” inwhich a public service broadcast message is to be sent. A second is theidentification and specification of carrier or telecommunication localcarriers that will be included in the public service location broadcastmessage messages originated by the particular Broadcast AgentAdministrator or Broadcast Agent. This may also include defining one ormore networks, network components (such as Carrier Broadcast Center ornetwork switching centers) or sub-networks to be provided the broadcastmessages.

The Broadcast Agent Administrator is capable of setting furtherrestrictions or rules related to its Broadcast Message Jurisdiction andone or more Broadcast Agents under its control or within its BroadcastMessage Jurisdiction. For example, it may establish differ levels ofauthority for various personnel within a police department or firedepartment or allocation sub-areas or sub-jurisdictions based on policeor fire department sub-boundaries.

For each Broadcast Agent Administrator, the Broadcast TargetArea/Footprint Library is generated and shared among the BroadcastAgents. However in some cases, the Broadcast Agent Administrator maywish to pre-define Broadcast Target Area/Footprints on the basis ofexisting agreements. For example, these may include tornado watch boxesor mandated warning zones around a chemical plant.

In this case, the Broadcast Agent Administrator has the option to allowsome Broadcast Agents only to access the Broadcast Target Area/Footprintlibrary, or to be able to use the library and the map tool. OtherBroadcast Agents may have the authority to create new Broadcast TargetArea/Footprints and store them in the library.

In some cases, the Broadcast Target Area/Footprint area may be complex.An advanced Footprint Library feature will enable the Broadcast Agent topre-define areas to be covered, and store them in a library of BroadcastTarget Area/Footprints specific to that Broadcast Agent. For example,the flood plain area of a river may be complex to define with a simplemouse click. You would want to get that done ahead of time, then call itback quickly when an urgent message is imminent. In another case, atornado warning box is pre-defined by political means and may be easierto refer to as such.

This feature may also be required if a particular Broadcast Agent onlyhas authority to cover, for example, major highways or coastal areassuch as beaches. These can be pre defined by an Administrative Operatorand then locked so that the Broadcast Agent has limited authority as tothe Broadcast Target Area/Footprint's area.

There is no limit on how many users one message can reach and in theoryan authorized operator may send the message to everyone in the countryat the same time. Since most authority is relatively limited, theaccount may be set established on a per Broadcast Agent basis therebydetermining the area to be addressed by one message. An AdmissionControl feature checks new message for a pop figure before agreeing toproceed. If not, the message is declined and the Broadcast Agentreceives a message and report with an explanation. To continue, theBroadcast Agent can either set the area to one less ambitious, orrequest authorization from another Broadcast Agent with more popauthority. The pop figure may also be used to generate usage statisticswhich the administration system would record for each Broadcast Agent.If a Broadcast Agent has exceeded the agreed limit, the account can beclosed and an e-mail sent to the Broadcast Agent Administratorexplaining this.

Control of Pops is also provided for the local carriers because thespacing of Radio Base Stations when very closely to population density.A dense urban area may be covered by more cells than the samecorresponding area in a rural environment. From a signaling point ofview more cells are signaled for an area in the city that in thecountry. Therefore the relationship between pops and network load is avalid one. For example, the number of messages times the population theyhave targeted [Mess*Pops] is one possible strategy for working outbilling, since we have pop figures directly from the reports generatedby account administration.

A Broadcast message may consist of 15 82-character messages linkedtogether. The standard default maximum size of a message may be thatused by second generation GSM systems, which is 93 characters, or 82octets of data. However, in practice each message should be less inorder to support multiple language messages and for practicalapplication reasons. The Broadcast Agent Administrator may set limits onthe length of an individual message. The Broadcast Agent Administratormay also set a limit on how much in total has been sent by all of theBroadcast Agents within his control. An extended-message button on theadvanced message dialogue box provides for setting further messagecontents as required. For future systems, messages may includemultimedia messages such as photographs or maps. In such a case, amultimedia facility dialogue box is utilized.

The Broadcast Agent Administrator may also pre-define set messages inthe message library, so that some accounts may broadcast only thesemessages. Others may be able to create their own and store them in thelibrary. Past messages are also stored in the message library for laterrecall or repetition. Either from the advanced menu or from an advancedbutton on the quick message box, the Broadcast Agent can select theadvanced message panel. Here the Broadcast Agent has many more optionsto control messages. For example, a particular message may be usedfrequently, or the precise wording of a message may have been agreed athigher political level in advance and only this wording is agreed. Insuch a case, the Broadcast Agent selects from a Message Library ofstandard messages available to this Broadcast Agent. The system storespast messages and is capable of retrieving them for re-transmission.

The system provides for the ability to repeat a message if the emergencycontinues for a long time, as the location broadcast message will onlylast for a limited period and be me repeated. In other cases, thebroadcast event may be triggered by an automatic machine such as a waterlevel device. If so the event triggers the pre-defined message as set upby agreements ahead of time between the Broadcast Agent Administratorfor that organization and the Administrative Operator who administersthe accounts on the PLBS-SB in accordance with guidelines agreed withgovernment authorities and local carriers.

A Broadcast Request includes both the message and the Broadcast TargetArea/Footprint together. In some cases both the Broadcast TargetArea/Footprint and the message may be pre defined by one group ofBroadcast Agents giving other Broadcast Agents only the choice as towhen to send the message. The Broadcast library also keeps copies ofpreviously sent messages, and their Broadcast Target Area/Footprints,for fast recall and for internal management reasons within the BroadcastAgent organization.

The system also provides for the broadcasting of public messages thatare in several languages. In this case the Broadcast Agent will not beallowed to proceed until messages in the other languages have beencompiled. Alternatively the broadcast message may be sent in eachlanguage as each is entered. Otherwise translation servers can besignaled for a best effort translation. The account administrationparameters will determine this.

In many cases, users may be travelers from an area where a differentlanguage is the primary language. If so, by keeping separate channelsfor warnings in each language, the user may receive a message in his ownlanguage. This may also be required in multilingual countries orportions of countries such as along a border. The PLBS Operator orBroadcast Agent Administrator may also be required by governmentauthorities to send messages in more than one language. If so, theAdministration system reminds the Broadcast Agent to open up messagesfor all the languages required. It will then link them together so thatwhen one is recalled, they are all recalled together and treated as ifthe same message.

The Broadcast Agent may not be able to read and write the message in theother language, for example, he may not read Chinese or Arabic. In thiscase, he can go to the library of messages, which will automaticallymatch the other language message. However this restricts the message tothose not containing any variables.

If the Broadcast Agent decides to recall a message from the network andorder that its broadcast cease, the linkage will ensure that alllanguages are recalled at the same time.

The system also provides for the specification of how long a singlebroadcast continues to be broadcast. For example, for many situations a20 minute broadcast may be long enough, after which a new command tosend the message again is be initiated. The PLBS system may provide fora default time to be set in the Broadcast Agent account. Additionally,in the advanced menu options, the Broadcast Agent may be enabled to setstart and stop time.

In other cases, Carriers or their networks may require that thebroadcast message have a start time and stop time specified to the cell.The message is held at the cell and transmitted only when the start timearises, then transmission will be at regular intervals until the stoptime arises, unless a command is received by the cell to cease themessage. As such, the PLBS includes a default start time that is set bythe PLBS-SB to be NOW, and the stop time to be 20 minutes. In somesituations, the Broadcast Agent may have authority to set up messagesfor delivery at a pre-determined time in advance, or to set thebroadcast time for a longer or shorter time. For example, the BroadcastAgent may be planning a highway shutdown, and may pre-program thenight's messages accordingly. This frees manpower at the busy commandcenter at the very moment when attention may be needed on the radio andelsewhere.

In the advanced message window, a start and stop time box may appearwhich is set to the defaults. The Broadcast Agent has the option tochange these, but as usual the administration system will check that theBroadcast Agent has authority to do so before proceeding with themessage.

Channel codes define the type of message sent, which in turn defines thetype of people being broadcasted to. The subscriber who owns theterminal has to switch on or off the channels at his discretion. Theaccount will define which channel codes are defaults for this BroadcastAgent and which are allowed.

The Broadcast message is preceded by a channel code. Users may be giventhe option to select the type of messages they want to receive by goingthrough a menu on their phone. Some mobile phones are sold with thedefault state set to disable the receipt of messages. However, to enablemass distribution of broadcast message, the channel numbers are definedfor the various message types.

In any case, the Broadcast Agent may have another special need in mindother than to address the public for warnings. The Broadcast Agent may,for example, want to address only police officers or neighborhood watchvolunteers in the area. In other instances, there may be automaticequipment in the area which needs to be commanded to perform in acertain way in some conditions and locations, for example, sirens tosound. If so, a different channel number is defined.

If the Broadcast Agent has the authority, the channel number may bechanged. In the simple version, the default is the standard code forpublic safety messaging. In any case this code is checked against theBroadcast Agent profile by the Broadcast Agent Administrator before themessage is sent to verify the authority of the Broadcast Agent.

In many areas, more than one official language is used. In such regions,people speaking one language, can be regularly crossing borders intocountries which in themselves have multiple official languages, withprimacy in different order. In other cases, such as the maritimeservice, information should be on the same code, regardless of whichcountry the ship is in range of. Therefore, the system provides for theability to transmit alert messages in all major official languages for aregion. The system provides a mechanism to give the networks andgovernmental authorities flexibility in addressing this requirement.

Users may be required to turn one or more functions of their phone. Theuser may be motivated to do that if he knows that he will get messagesin his language. If the user can speak more than one language, he canenable more than one code at his discretion. In addition, if the user isa tourist or traveling businessman, he will get messages in his ownlanguage if that host country transmits them as such. For example, atairports, authorities may decide to transmit in English as well as theofficial languages, so as to warn passengers regardless if they speakthe local language or not. Popular holiday resorts are another example.

Furthermore there may be politically sensitive positions regarding whichlanguage is the first and which the second. In one embodiment,pre-assigning codes according the internationally recognized orderspecified in ISO 639 may be implemented. The use of 145 codes coversmost languages (plus some spare for special cases). However, a networkmay use the unused codes for another purpose. In any case since thereare 1,000 codes available, this loss is a low price to pay in return fora good solution.

There are some cases where internationally agreed codes are required.One case in point is that of the maritime service channel. Many smallpleasure craft and small coastal fishing vessels are not fitted withmarine radio equipment. However in many cases one of the occupants ofthe boat does have a mobile unit in their possession. Certainly mostlarge ships do have a GSM installation. If so the coastal authoritiesmay decide to relay maritime safety information over a CB maritimeservice channel. If so, we could expect coastal shipping to switch onthis channel. In that case, the channel number should be the same forevery port the ship may visit, requiring an internationally assignedchannel. In another example, the United Nations (UN) has theresponsibility to care for the security concerns of all internationalrelief workers working for them and any Non Governmental Organizations(NGOs). If the UN security -coordinator (UNSECORD) had a standardchannel, then this highly mobile but very vulnerable group would bereachable on a geographically specific basis, but without having tochange the channel number on their phone each time they change border.These two examples, while extreme, show the benefits of the currentsystem for supporting multi-border Broadcast Agents.

One embodiment of a coding scheme consistent with the PLBS is providedin Appendix 1.

All broadcast messages are logged by the PLBS-SB in the logfile andcannot be tampered with by the Broadcast Agent or AdministrativeOperator. In the case of any dispute over a message, the Broadcast AgentAdministrator, the Administrative Operator, and/or a governmentauthority may view the log to establish what has occurred.

This file may also be used for off line statistics and accountadministration. The reporting system may send a copy by e-mail to theBroadcast Agent and/or Broadcast Agent Administrators if required. Insome cases billing can be derived from the message log and an off linebilling gateway program which would use agreed information to derivebilling.

The Broadcast Agent requires the permission of the local carrier to usetheir network for this purpose. The administration of individualaccounts is provided to the Administrative Operator to define networkguidelines for each Broadcast Agent Administrator. For each BroadcastAgent Administrator, the carriers who have agreed to carry his trafficare signaled individually. Broadcast Agent Administrator is providedwith the ability to customize the interface between the various carriersto match the protocols or business requirements of the carriers.

The message is transmitted to the carrier for broadcast transmissionover their network. In most cases, the message is transmitted by everyknown operator offering coverage of the area and may include mobilecarriers, digital private radio systems operators, private radio systemoperators, internet providers, wireline telecommunication serviceproviders, satellite service providers, CATV operators, etc.

The PLBS-SB sends a copy of the message and geographical informationabout the Broadcast Target Area/Footprint required to each operator'snetwork center for further processing by the Carrier Broadcast Center(CBC) to determine which cells are involved, then send the signals tothe correct switching center or Gateway platform. Some messages may beintended only for the private digital radio system used by theorganization such as a police radio network. In other cases, sending amultimedia message such as a map or photo to a text-capable 2G networkmay not be applicable.

Carriers or telecommunications operators may decline to accept messagesfrom a message source, or of a particular subject matter, context, orcontent. In each case, the networks which have been selected may bechecked by an Administration Subsystem or Administrative Entity beforethe message is transmitted.

In some cases the sender may decide to recall the message before it haselapsed its time. In this case the Broadcast Agent will select themessage from the message library and press the recall button.Administration sends the recall command to the concerned networks orcarriers.

Emergency situations are very dynamic, and the situation may changeshortly after sending the message and before the expiry of the messagetime. If so, the PLBS provides the Broadcast Agent with the ability torecall the message. The system also includes a recall button to recallthe message as displayed in the window. Each message is given a dailynumber for fast recall purposes.

The User may wish to know that the broadcast has indeed been passed tothe networks for broadcasting. This can be by an e-mail or a report boxon the browser.

Since the actual broadcast is managed by the local carrier through hisnetwork of gateways and switches, PLBS-SB cannot have any furtherinfluence on the process after the handoff to the network has been done.Therefore any progress information we can pass back is only valid up tothe moment of handoff.

The report system can send a pop up window back to the Broadcast Agentprovided he has not logged off the server by then. This can show ticksindicating that the message was handed off to network. However it doesnot indicate that the message is actually being transmitted at thistime.

Optionally the report system can send an e-mail to the Broadcast AgentAdministrator to inform him that messages have been sent. Should anyirregularities occur or other trigger events, such as the nearexhaustion of agreed messages, then a report can be sent to theBroadcast Agent Administrators e-mail reporting this.

Reports may be automatically generated as plain text messages and sentto an electronic address or e-mail account defined by the BroadcastAgent Administrator and/or Administrative Operator.

The Web Portal, as hosted directly or indirectly by the PLBS ServiceBureau communicates with a Web Browser at the Broadcast Agent'slocation, as discussed below. The objective of the Portal is thecreation of a Broadcast Request, a file which holds the followinginformation.

-   -   a. Broadcast Target Area/Footprint    -   b. Broadcast Message and related parameters    -   c. Broadcast Agent User ID and Password.    -   d. Status of the Broadcast Request, (times Proposed,        Authenticated, Handed off) and status reports.

The Admission Control Subsystem ensures that the proposed BroadcastRequest by the particular Broadcast Agent at this time is authenticbefore passing it to the networks.

For the Broadcast Agent and session, the Portal provides an environmentfor the Broadcast Agent consisting of the maps of his jurisdiction andthe Broadcast Target Area/Footprint, message and broadcast librariesthat apply. Portal gets this information from the Account data. When theMulti-Language feature is required, appropriate windows will be providedin the message window.

Broadcast Agent Web Portal creates a Broadcast Request record with thename of being the current system date and time from when the CreateMessage button was pressed.

When the Broadcast Agent presses the GO-button, the Admission systemfetches the Broadcast Agent profile from the account database. It willnow check all the parameters of the Broadcast Agent and message to seeif the message will be admitted or declined.

When a message is declined, the Broadcast Record is marked as such byits status register and sent to reporting; a report is then generatedand e-mailed as per the parameters in the account data. The broadcastrecord is then stored along with the reports in the broadcast log. TheBroadcast Agent creates a new broadcast which has a new number.

The Broadcast Agent ID and password details are then checked against theprofile to authenticate the Broadcast Agent. If not authentic then themessage is declined. Admission will then check the Broadcast TargetArea/Footprint against the profile, If not within the Jurisdiction, andthen the message will be declined. Admission will then calculate thePops figure for this message by multiplying the area derived from theBroadcast Target Area/Footprint, by the population density. Populationdensity figure is fetched from Account data. The [total messages], [Popdensity], and [total mess*pop] figure is then fetched from the accountdata, and the new figure is added in the broadcast record but notwritten into the account data. The total result is checked against thelimits set in account data. If the limit is exceeded then the admissionrules are checked to see if the broadcast may go ahead or not. If notthen the message is declined. Alternatively a report may be generatedaccording to the admission rules.

Multi language messaging checks may be performed to see if the BroadcastAgent has defined a message for each language as required by thegovernment authorities. If not then the Broadcast may or may not bedeclined according to admission control rules.

The networks requested are checked against the Account Data. Portal mayhave defined networks that the account data has indicated, however insome cases some networks may accept some channels while others do not.If so, the broadcast may continue on the allowed networks and declinedon others, or it may be declined altogether.

If Admission is satisfied that the Broadcast Request is valid, then itis sent to the distribution system.

The Admission control ensures that that any Broadcast Request meets withthe approval based on preset guidelines. The parameters as to what isacceptable and what is not are set by the Administrative Operator in theAdministration Data Base. Each registered Broadcast Agent, that iseveryone who is allowed to create Broadcasts, has a separate Profilerecorded in the Administration Database. Only the AdministrativeOperator has access to this file and can create, edit and deleteBroadcast Agents. All Broadcast Agents belong to a Broadcast AgentAdministrator, and may on no account have authority exceeding theirBroadcast Agent Administrator.

The parameters used in the Administration Data Base are reviewed in thePLBS-SB System description document. There are other parameters aboutthe User ID, the Broadcast Agent Administrator to whom the BroadcastAgent reports, and the current password and authentication key for eachBroadcast Agent that may also be included.

The Administration subsystem is responsible for creating an objectcalled the Broadcast Request. This file details everything known abouteach proposal. It also contains a check list of flags which are used bythe system to track the progress of each Broadcast Request. A BroadcastRequest is known by a unique ID consisting of the PLBS-SB which acceptedthe proposal, and the date time group identifying when it was acceptedas a valid proposal.

When the Broadcast Agent presses the “propose” or “GO” button,Administration will check that the Broadcast Request has been createdwith enough required information, and is formatted correctly. When theProposal is correctly formatted, it is recorded in the logfile database, in an area where pending proposals are kept. The Administrationsystem then orders the Admission control system to run.

Referring to Fig. X, the convention of having a yes answer coming out ofthe side, and a no answer from the bottom is applicable unless otherwiseindicated.

Next Broadcast Agent—When activated, the Admission Control (admission)fetches the next Broadcast Agent from the logfile area where pendingBroadcast Agents are waiting. The AC also copies all the parameters.

Fetch User Profile—The User ID is read and the Broadcast Agent profileis fetched from the Administration Data Base.

Security Fail—The User ID is checked against the password andauthentication key entered in the database. (The Administration controlsystem has validated the data link and network address of theoriginating terminal in the case of secure tunneling or Virtual PrivateNetwork or VPN access).

Security Report—If the security check fails, a short message explainingthe reason for the failure is generated. The short message is appendedto the report field for this Broadcast Request. In the case of asecurity offense or alert, additional data may be included such asdetails related to the attempted action.

All Decline Flags Set—To avoid a transmission of this Broadcast Agent,the Decline Flag is set for a Broadcast Request on all the networkfields to restrict transmission.

Next Network—If there is no security problem, the Broadcast Request isexamined to see which is the first network to be attempted. TheAdmission Parameters for this network will now be queried from theAdministration Data Base and examined. When this is performed for allnetworks, a copy of the Broadcast Request is sent to the distributorsystem which converts the Broadcast Request into a signal for sending tothe Carrier Broadcast Center at the Network management center. Acommunication protocol is used which may be a standard protocol or anapplication specific protocol such as a Broadcast Message SubmissionProtocol (BMSP)).

All Nets Done—The end of file marker is checked and read to determinewhether all required networks have been analyzed. When all networks willhave been signaled, a copy is transmitted to the Broadcast Agent.

Copy To Reporting—A copy of all Broadcasts and Broadcast Requests arewritten to or stored to the Broadcast Request reporting field that issent to the reporting subsystem for transmission to the Broadcast AgentAdministrator and to the Carrier Broadcast Centers or their reportingsubsystem.

Copy to Logfile—The Broadcast Request is stored in the Logfile anddeleted from the pending area.

Admiss Done—An Admiss Done flag or notification is set on the BroadcastRequest record along with a timestamp indicating completion of theadministration process.

Next Broadcast Agent Parameter—The Next Broadcast Agent parameter isretrieved from the Administration Data Base and compared to therequesting Broadcast Agent.

All Parameters Done—The All Parameters Done process ensures that allparameters have been evaluated and the file processing is nearcompletion.

Fail?—The Fail process determines if a parameter in the BroadcastRequest does not meet predefined criteria for a Broadcast Message asdefined by the PLBS and/or of the Broadcast Agent Administrator.

Pass Report—If the parameter is within the predefined criteria, thereporting system appends to the Broadcast Request report a short messageindicating which parameter has been passed. This provides for troubleshooting and resolving disputes.

Decline?—If the parameter under test does not fall within the predefinedcriteria, the parameter fails and special handing procedures areapplied. Such procedures may enable a system override or an operatoroverride such the Broadcast Request may continue even in light of theparameter within the predefined criteria. Such procedure may includechecking the Decline parameter.

Warning Report—If the Decline Parameter is not met, a warning message isgenerated and appended to the Broadcast Request.

Warning Flag—A warning flag is set against the particular network.

Decline Report—If the Decline parameter indicates that the BroadcastRequest is declined, a Decline Report is generated and appended to theBroadcast Request.

Decline Flag—A Decline Flag is set against that network upon indicationof a Decline Parameter. A Decline Flag may apply to one or more networksas a function of the network facilities or arrangements.

Decline Flag set this Network—When all the parameters have beenevaluated, the All Parameters Done message is returned. Prior to sendinga Broadcast Request to a Broad Distributor for sending to the particularCarrier and Carrier's network or Carrier Broadcast Center (CBC), adetermination of whether the Broadcast Request or message has beendeclined by the entity or system is determined. If the broadcast messagehas not been declined for the particular network, then the message ispassed on.

Copy to Broadcast Request Distributor—A copy all or the relevant partsof the Broadcast Request is sent to the Broadcast Distributor or placedin a queue. The Broadcast Distributor may reformat the data according toone or more predefined parameters, formats or protocol associated withthe transmission facility or link for communicating to the Carrier orthe Carrier Broadcast Center (CBC).

Submission Report—A submission date and timestamp are appended to thereport, and stored by the BLBS and/or Broadcast Agent Access Device. Theprocess returns to the Next Network point so that the next network isevaluated since each network will have network specific criteria andparameters.

Using the Broadcast Agent Access Device, a Broadcast Agent defines thetarget area by drawing shapes or indicating areas on a map to where thebroadcast message should be sent. As the target area will likely beserved by two or more carriers or telecommunications service providers,the PLBS determines which carriers serve all or a portion of the targetarea. The PLBS may perform this function by a Broadcast Distributorwhich may be an integral system or module or a separate standalonesystem or module. It may be implemented in hardware or software. TheBroadcast Distributor routes the broadcast message to the CarrierBroadcast Center (CBC) of the carriers providing service to all or apart of the target area as defined in the Broadcast Request. This may beimplemented in any possible arrangement including a table, chart, ormap.

Operators may in turn have different models of Carrier Broadcast Center(CBC), for example, the GMG 1.5, CellTech, or the Logica 1100, so adifferent mode of signaling for each type may be provided. One knownindustry standard protocol is BMSP. Administration data includes routingor address information for the appropriate Carrier Broadcast Center(CBC) interface unit, so that the appropriate signaling protocolconversion occurs.

Signaling to the CBC may utilize an industry standard BMSP protocol thatdefines the area polygons in WGS84 co-ordinates, the message, andassociated scheduling information. The CBC provides a check of theproposed broadcast message for validity and converts the polygons into aCell Identification (CellID) list. In one embodiment, the CBC sends theCellID list to the broadcast switching centers (BSC) by standardcommunication protocol such as the GSM 03.49 protocol/list. Transmissionbetween PLBS-SB and CBC may utilize commercially available systems andfacilities that may include TCP/IP secure tunneling protocols, or X25 asdemanded by the local carrier.

When a PLBS Location Selector is provided at the carriers or localcarrier's location, the Broadcast Request file may be transmitted byFTP/TCP/IP to the Location Selector for local processing into a Cell IDlist before sending to the CBC or the BSC.

The Administrative Operator utilizes the system to designateadministrative and operating parameters and profiles, authorizations,and restrictions for each Broadcast Agent Administrator. These may bebased on government regulations, negotiated agreements, standards orpolicies and practices. This may include establishing schedule ofauthorizations for various Broadcast Agent Administrators and/orBroadcast Agents.

The Administrative Operator also establishes within the system anAdministration Database to set account parameters so that BroadcastAgent Administrators and their Broadcast Agents have definedauthorization levels. The Administrative Operator also uses the systemto establish and maintain an account for each Broadcast Agent andBroadcast Agent Administrator for billing and administration purposes.

The system is configured to enable the Administrative Operator toresolve review Logfiles and Broadcast Requests. The system enables theAdministrative Operator to read the logfiles, and to read and write tothe Administration Data Base. The Administrative Operator ManagementSubsystem is configured to provide the Administrative Operator with aweb control panel or GUI environment in which to administer the Useraccount data and system. Addition the system is configured to generatestatistics for administration, management, reporting, and billing.

A Location Broadcast Reporter may be configured to store broadcastmessaging data and to prepare and produce reports related to past,pending, and future broadcast messages in one or more areas. TheLocation Broadcast Report may be located at a disaster managementoffice, a control room, or the PLBS-SB. Access to such reports and datais made available to authorized personnel of the PLBS operator or anadministrative or government entity. Such reports may be made inreal-time via a web-based interface such that immediate action may betaken or additional or related actions may be initiated.

When the Admission Control Subsystem does not accept the ProposedBroadcast Request for any reason, a status message may be sent to theBroadcast Agent Access Device and a Report Required flag may be set. Insuch as case, reporting obtains the profile from the account data todetermine the appropriate procedure.

Additionally, a notice or dialogue box may be opened at the BroadcastAgent Access Device to report the situation to the Broadcast Agent. Ifthe Broadcast Agent has logged off the Broadcast Agent Access Device, anotification such as an email report is sent to the Broadcast AgentAdministrator and the Broadcast Agent according to predefined addressesand arrangements. A copy of the report is also appended to the BroadcastRequest to provide a record of the action.

Reporting also provides for reporting of any activity on the account tothe Administrative Operator and Broadcast Agent Administrator. Thisincludes reporting of any warnings that the account may expire.Reporting also sends account information to the Broadcast AgentAdministrator on a regular basis depending on parameters defined in theaccount data. Reports are stored in the logfile which may be accessed bythe Broadcast Administrative Operator.

A Broadcast Agent Terminal accessing the Broadcast Agent Portal orWebpage may be located at a Disaster Management Office such as a policecontrol room. The authorized Broadcast Agent creates and proposes themessage using a web or internet browser, with web access, public servicemessage location broadcasting system Direct, or the Public ServiceLocation Broadcast Controller (PLBC).

The Broadcast Agent interacts with the PLBS-SB over a web page, (via aWeb Portal); loading of special client software is an unnecessary.Almost any computer can use PLBS-SB without any modification at all.

The Broadcast Agent accesses the Public Service Location BroadcastSystem (PLBS) via a communication network including the Internet and/orthe World Wide Web. The Broadcast Agent device may be any communicationdevice and is preferably one that is configured to access the Internetand/or to host a webpage. This includes a personal computer, laptopcomputer, mobile phone, and personal administrative device andvariations thereof.

The Broadcast Agent device access a webpage or portal hosted directly orindirectly by the public service message location broadcasting system.Any current or future web, internet, or similar and future servicesbrowser or access method may be used by the Broadcast Agent. A standardlanguage such as in one embodiment a Hyper Text Mark-up Language, HTML,may be utilized using any existing or future hardware and/or softwareplatform. Standard, proprietary, and/or commercially availablecommunications systems and protocols may be utilized to provide thevarious communications facilities and interconnections.

When added security is desired, commercially available or proprietaryeffective security protocols and measures such as SSL with public keyencryption may be employed along with private networking facilities,Virtual Private Network (VPN) facilities, and/or secure tunnelingfeatures.

A Broadcast Agent Web Portal is made available throughout a LAN or anInternet to provide each and every Broadcast Agent with the flexibilityof accessing the Public Service Message Location Broadcast System (PLBS)via any workstation wherever it may be located, including ones locatedat a home, remote office, or a portable computing computer, device orplatform. The system may utilize wireless LANs such as the 802.11technology and mobile Internet systems and networks.

The Broadcast Agent Web Portal is presented as a web page. The BroadcastAgent Webpage may be designed in a design configuration or pattern withan appearance of a control room or panel. Additionally, Broadcast AgentWebpage may be consistent a Geographical Information System (GIS)service portal or webpage.

The Broadcast Agent Web Portal or Webpage may include or be composed ofone or more maps with scroll bars and zoom options for easy and quickmap viewing. One or more tool bars provide for Broadcast Agent with theability to select and define a broadcast target area in a map format.While currently web browsers do not process Geographical InformationSystem (GIS) data, the map may be a jpeg format image or file withconversions for position being performed by the PLBS-SB to aid thebrowser. However, it is expected that in the future the Broadcast AgentWeb Portal or Webpage will directly support GIS map data, displaying,and definitional inputs.

The Homepage of the Broadcast Agent Webpage may present a map of thedemonstration zone and a city or location name associated with theparticular geographic area and/or the particular Broad Agent. In analternative embodiment, the Homepage may display general data availableto all users.

When a Broadcast Agent logs in, a map of the jurisdiction of thatBroadcast Agent is displayed. The map is established by theAdministrative Operator and/or the Broad Agent Administrator to preventaccidentally sending messages to an unrelated or unauthorized area.

The Broadcast Agent Web Portal or Webpage are designed to enable thesending or requesting of a Broadcast Request or message within sixenters or “clicks” from the Broadcast Agent accessing the Web Portal.Similarly, the system is designed so that such actions are in a timelymanner and may be accomplished in 15 seconds.

The Broadcast Agent utilizing the Broadcast Agent Webpage uses apointing device such as a mouse or touchpad to define an area for whichthe message will be broadcast, e.g., the broadcast target area orBroadcast Target Area/Footprint. Preferably, the broadcast target areais defined by the Broadcast Agent through a graphical selection meanssuch as clicking a mouse on the displayed map.

After the Broadcast Agent defines the broadcast target area, theBroadcast Agent initiates a message menu button on the menu bar andenters a message such as by typing a text message into a keyboard.

After this is complete, the Broadcast Agent authenticates the BroadcastRequest through one or more authentication procedures. These may includeentering a User ID and Password, speaking a voice authenticationmessage, or otherwise. After the Broadcast Request has beenauthenticated, the Broadcast Request is forwarded to the Public ServiceLocation Broadcast System (PLBS) Service Bureau.

Optional system features may also be made available to the BroadcastAgent via the Broadcast Agent Web Portal or Webpage. These may beimplemented as additional options on an Advanced button or the toolbar.These optional features may include:

-   -   Broadcast Target Area/Footprint library    -   Message library    -   Multiple language messages    -   Long messages    -   Start time, Stop time    -   Channel codes    -   Recall messages    -   Select networks    -   Progress windows

The Broadcast Agent Web Portal and Webpage may provide one or moreprogress windows.

Once the Broadcast Agent has pressed the GO-button, and acceptedliability for the message by typing his User ID and password, themessage is not transmitted directly. Instead it is sent to the PLBS-SB'sadministrations subsystem where the Broadcast Agent is checked out forauthority for this message. For example, the message has been definedfor transmission within his jurisdiction. There may be restrictions onhow many messages one individual or center may send in a period. Thismay be defined by the local carriers, government entities, or by thePLBS-SB operator.

Billing for the service may be done on the basis of the area that wasdefined for the message, or the population density assumed for themessage. In each case the Broadcast Agent may want to know what themessage is costing before deciding to proceed.

The Broadcast Agents request and message are checked over thoroughly bythe administration subsystem to make sure of compliance to allagreements, with the Broadcast Agent, the government authorities and thelocal carriers. Only in the case of full compliance does the messageproceed. If so, a dialogue box confirms when each local carrier hasaccepted the message.

If not, then the Broadcast Agent will get a dialogue box explaining whythe message was declines and a suggestion as to what to do next to getthe message sent off quickly. For example, a smaller less ambitiousBroadcast Target Area/Footprint may be tried, or perhaps authorizationfrom a higher ranking Broadcast Agent.

Alternatively, when a web-based interface cannot handle a particularapplication or situation, the Advanced Broadcast Controller (PLBC) mayprovide this functionality. This third party application, can call onmore, perhaps confidential information to define the broadcast area. Inthis way the confidential information never leaves the building.

At the local carrier's office, there is a Carrier Broadcast Center (CBC)server collates the cell Latitude and Longitude data received from thePLBS-SB with the locally provided Cell ID data for that carrier'snetwork. A cell serving area map or table is derived from local carrierplanning tool, systems, and data. Typically a carrier's engineeringgroup prepares similar information for planning, maintenance andadministration purposes.

Location broadcast messages are broadcast by the Cellular NetworkOperators on a per-cell basis over a location broadcast channel. Inorder to send a location broadcast message, a signal is sent to theCarrier Broadcast Center. From here, to the Base Station Controllers(BSC), containing the message to be transmitted, and crucially, theGlobal Cell IDs of the cells in which the broadcast is to be made, alongwith some other data such as how often and when the message is to bebroadcast.

Cellular operators guard the information about their cells (the celldata) with great care, as the information can be useful to a competitor.They may find the prospect of having this information on multipleunsecured servers to be unacceptable.

According to one embodiment of the PLBS, each carrier maintains andcontrols access to their own proprietary network data including celllocations and cell serving areas. Each carrier receives geographic datadefining the target area for the public service broadcast and determineswhich transmissions and transmitting locations relate to the targetarea. Once established, each carrier initiates message broadcasting toonly those locations or areas which relate in whole or in part to thetarget area. As such, competing carriers do not have access to othercarrier's networks or proprietary network or customer data.

Transmission between PLBS-SB and CBC is achieved with availabletelecommunication facilities and protocols which may include TCP/IPsecure tunneling protocols, security, and authentication. Transmissionmay be by wireline, wireless, including satellite facilities.

In one embodiment, the BLBS system ensures that the Carrier's cell datais retained by the Carrier in a look up table in the Carrier BroadcastCenter at the Local carrier's office. This includes the CellIdentification Codes of the cells, the Latitude and Longitude positionsof their respective Radio Base Station sites and azimuth data for theirsectors. This leads to per-cell resolution, but for the firstapplication this may be good enough considering the small size of moderncells, which are typically 1-3 Km across (about 2 miles). The cell datanever leaves the Network's office. The local carrier such as a mobileservice provider provides the hosting of the cell-broadcast messagingtechnology, access to the local cell network, and transmission of thecell-broadcast messages to its subscribers. Additionally, the carriersor mobile unit service providers may provide cell-site geographiccoverage data either internally or to the PLBS operator to enable theoperator GUI interface.

Location broadcast messages may be employed in several ways whennumerous operators or carriers in a particular geographical area requirethe same information in a timely manner. Such information may includetext messages relating to emergency situations, and, for 3G cells andphones, pictures of wanted or missing persons, graphical data, maps ofproblem areas including areas to avoid and escape routes.

Location broadcasting is a function of cellular networks and is definedby the official standardization bodies, such as GSM MoU, (GSM 03.41)UMTS, 3GPP/3GPP2 and IS95 CDMA. Many networks have location broadcastchannels defined for their networks which are unused at present for lackof a suitable application.

There is typically more than one carrier or operator providing servicein the same area. There is no co-ordination of cell planning betweencompeting operators, and as such, the Cell layouts and Cell IDs of eachare different. In addition, due to constant improvements intelecommunication and cell coverage and capacity, the network design,and size and layout of geographic network systems and cells covering aparticular area can be dynamic, e.g., network reconfigurations, cellsplits and switch cutovers.

Also, many networks have a hierarchical network or cell structuresystem, with overlapping patterns of networks or cells of differentsizes, such as Umbrella Cells, Macro Cells, Overlaid cells, Micro Cellsand Pico cells. They may also have multiple layers of sub-band structurein different frequency bands such as (850-1900 or 900-1800-2 Ghz, witheach having different Cell IDs and different base station spacing.

Multi-network configurations will continue to increase in complexitywith the introduction of 3G General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), EDGE,CDMA2000, and UMTS. 3G location broadcast messages will be much morecapable, so different Cell ID tables are entered for a plain textversion of the broadcast than for a multi-media version.

A single signal of about 1 KB may be used by the Carrier for eachtransmission area or cell. The transceiver then carries out therepetition of the message for the time required.

User receiving devices may include mobile or cellular phones, PDA's,PC's, etc. Receiving devices may provide a distinct alert ring-tone thatcontinues until the message is acknowledged by a local user. Suchfeatures and functions are dependent on the features and functionalityof the various receiving devices. Some receiving devices may beconfigured to receive text messages, graphical data, images, and maps ormay be capable of connecting to a designated website that providesadditional information.

With one or more embodiments of the current system, special handsets ormobile unit units are not required. Global System for MobileCommunication (GSM) handsets may display a public service messagelocation broadcasting system message as provided by a supporting GSMmobile service provider. Additionally, 3rd Generation mobile unitservices providers and mobile unit or cellular devices will displaylocation broadcast messages consistent with the public service messagelocation broadcasting system.

A public service message location broadcasting service may also displaya public service message location broadcasting system provider insigniaor service mark.

Because public service message location broadcasting system isindependent of the mobile unit service providers voice and SMS channels,cell-broadcasting will continue to operate during emergencies thatresult in high calling volume thereby enabling local authorities with aviable communications link for emergency instructions despiteinterruptions in voice and SMS service.

In operation, the public service message location broadcasting systemmay be provided, in one embodiment, by a method described herein. In theevent of a need for a public service message broadcast, an authorizedBroadcast Agent enters a password to access the public service messagelocation broadcasting system via a Broadcast Agent System accessing aBroadcast Agent Web Portal from an Internet-attached device. The screenrecognizes the Broadcast Agent and displays a map or illustration of hisjurisdiction.

The Broadcast Agent defines or selects the target area which may be theentire authorized Broadcast Jurisdiction or may be a portion thereof.The Broadcast Agent constructs a text message indicating the nature ofhe emergency and/or required action. The Broadcast Agent specifies thelength of time the message is to be broadcast and/or received by thereceiving devices in the target area. The Broadcast Agent utilizing theBroadcast Agent System confirms and sends the data to the public servicemessage location broadcasting system server.

The public service message location broadcasting system's Broadcast DataManagement (BDM) server reformats the data and forwards it to theCarrier Broadcast Center for each of the telecommunication carriersproviding service within the target area.

The Carriers Broadcast Center (CBC) selects one or more sub-networksand/or cell-sectors (such as transmission towers) that serve all or aportion of the target area so that the entire target area is covered bya broadcast. The CBC broadcast the message to all receiving deviceswithin its serving area. The CBC broadcast transmission process isrepeated for the duration of the alert to accommodate additional devicesentering, becoming available, or being activated/powering-on within thetarget area. Receiving devices located within the broadcast sub-networksor cells receive the public service broadcast message, and may providean alert and display of the message.

In practice, operation of one or more embodiments may be described bythe following example.

It is late at night and a river level is rising to dangerous levels. Thelocal police want to warn the population at risk, the people who live inthe area likely to flood. However since it is night time, they are notwatching their televisions or listening to the radio. The senior policeofficer, or disaster manager, in the position of a Broadcast Agentaccesses the public service message location broadcasting system website that is located at a central site. The officer selects a map of thearea that is in danger. The officer defines or selects a geographicbroadcast target area to be notified of the danger. The officer enters amessage indicating the nature of the danger and suggested actions suchas FLOOD WARNING in your area. The officer initiates the broadcastmessaging by following a security procedure and presses a Go-button.

The PLBS-SB receives the messages, performs a check on the validity ofthe officer as a Broadcast Agent that is proposing the message for theparticular notification or broadcast target area. Once validated, thePLBS-SB sends messages to each of the telecommunication serviceproviders or carrier having networks, coverage, or receiving unitswithin the defined coverage area.

Each local telecommunication service provider receives the message andbroadcast target area definitions from the broadcast system andinitiates transmission of the broadcast message to the particulartransmission networks serving the defined notification area. The localnetwork of the telecommunication service provider broadcasts the messageto every active compatible receiving unit active within the definednotification area. Each receiving unit receives the broadcast messageand displays the message and may provide a common or unique alertingsignal.

When introducing aspects of the disclosure or embodiments thereof, thearticles “a”, “an”, “the”, and “said” are intended to mean that thereare one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”, “including”,and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean that there may beadditional elements other than the listed elements.

In view of the above, it will be seen that several aspects of thedisclosure are achieved and other advantageous results attained. Asvarious changes could be made in the above exemplary constructions andmethods without departing from the scope of the disclosure, it isintended that all matter contained in the above description or shown inthe accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

It is further to be understood that the steps described herein are notto be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in theparticular order discussed or illustrated. It is also to be understoodthat additional or alternative steps may be employed.

APPENDIX 1 Code channel assignments 500 common training, exercise andtest channel. 501-650 Languages listed in order according to ISO 639.501 aa Afar 502 ab Abkhazian 503 af Afrikaans 504 am Amharic 505 arArabic 506 as Assamese 507 ay Aymara 508 az Azerbaijani 509 ba Bashkir510 be Byelorussian 511 bg Bulgarian 512 bh Bihari 513 bi Bislama 514 bnBengali, Bangla 515 bo Tibetan 516 br Breton 517 ca Catalan 518 coCorsican 519 cs Czech 520 cy Welsh 521 da Danish 522 de German 523 dzBhutani 524 el Greek 525 en English 526 eo Esperanto 527 es Spanish 528et Estonian 529 eu Basque 530 fa Persian 531 fi Finnish 532 fj Fiji 533fo Faeroese 534 fr French 535 fy Frisian 536 ga Irish 537 gd ScotsGaelic 538 gl Galician 539 gn Guarani 540 gu Gujarati 541 ha Hausa 542hi Hindi 543 hr Croatian 544 hu Hungarian 555 hy Armenian 556 iaInterlingua 557 ie Interlingue 558 ik Inupiak 559 in Indonesian 560 isIcelandic 561 it Italian 562 iw Hebrew 563 ja Japanese 564 ji Yiddish565 jw Javanese 566 ka Georgian 567 kk Kazakh 568 kl Greenlandic 569 kmCambodian 570 kn Kannada 571 ko Korean 572 ks Kashmiri 573 ku Kurdish574 ky Kirghiz 575 la Latin 576 ln Lingala 577 lo Laothian 578 ltLithuanian 579 lv Latvian, Lettish 580 mg Malagasy 581 mi Maori 582 mkMacedonian 583 ml Malayalam 584 mn Mongolian 585 mo Moldavian 586 mrMarathi 587 ms Malay 588 mt Maltese 589 my Burmese 590 na Nauru 591 neNepali 592 nl Dutch 593 no Norwegian 594 oc Occitan 595 om (Afan) Oromo596 or Oriya 597 pa Punjabi 598 pl Polish 599 ps Pashto, Pushto 600 ptPortuguese 601 qu Quechua 602 rm Rhaeto-Romance 603 rn Kirundi 604 roRomanian 605 ru Russian 606 rw Kinyarwanda 607 sa Sanskrit 608 sd Sindhi609 sg Sangro 610 sh Serbo-Croatian 611 si Singhalese 612 sk Slovak 613sl Slovenian 614 sm Samoan 615 sn Shona 616 so Somali 617 sq Albanian618 sr Serbian 619 ss Siswati 620 st Sesotho 621 su Sundanese 622 svSwedish 623 sw Swahili 624 ta Tamil 625 te Tegulu 626 tg Tajik 627 thThai 628 ti Tigrinya 629 tk Turkmen 630 tl Tagalog 631 tn Setswana 632to Tonga 633 tr Turkish 634 ts Tsonga 635 tt Tatar 636 tw Twi 637 ukUkrainian 638 ur Urdu 639 uz Uzbek 640 vi Vietnamese 641 vo Volapuk 642wo Wolof 643 xh Xhosa 644 yo Yoruba 645 zh Chinese 646 zu Zulu 646-669locally specified purpose or language. 670-699 International alertchannels. 671 Maritime service channel. 672 Aeronautical servicechannels. 673 Amateur service channels. 674 Scientific services. 690-699UN and International Organisations. E.G. 690 UNSECORD (UN SecurityCo-Ordinator.) 691 UNICEF (Child security) 692 WFP 693 WHO 694 UNHCR 695OCHA 696 Red Cross/Crescent Movement.

Other channels at the discretion of the networks, and in conjunctionwith the governmental authorities and other interested parties.

1. A message alert broadcast broker for providing a broadcast message toa plurality of user devices located within a broadcast target area, thesystem comprising: a broadcast service bureau communicatively coupledfor receiving from one of a plurality of coupled broadcast agent accesssystems providing a broadcast request from an originating broadcastagent associated one broadcast agent access system, the broadcastrequest including a broadcast agent identification, the geographicallydefined broadcast target area, a broadcast message, and a broadcastchannel code, the broadcast service bureau configured for verifying thebroadcast request as a function of the broadcast agent identificationincluding the authority of the originating broadcast agent to send thebroadcast message to the broadcast target area using the broadcastchannel code, the broadcast service bureau processing the verifiedbroadcast request for transmission to one or more mobile telephonenetworks providing service to at least a portion of the broadcast targetarea of the broadcast request.
 2. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising a carrier broadcast center coupled to the broadcast servicebureau configured for receiving the broadcast request, identifying theone or more mobile telephone networks providing service to at least aportion of the broadcast target area, converting the broadcast targetarea to network addresses of network transmission devices serving thebroadcast target area including determining the particular networktransmission devices serving at least a portion of the broadcast targetarea, and identifying the network addresses for each determinedparticular network transmission device and transmitting the broadcastmessage and broadcast channel code to the network addresses of theparticular network transmission devices for transmission by theparticular network transmission devices to user receiving devices over abroadcast channel associated with the broadcast channel code.
 3. Thesystem of claim 2 wherein the network transmission devices are wirelesscellular network transmitters each having a cell id network address,wherein the identified network addresses are cell id network addresses.4. The system of claim 2 wherein the carrier broadcast center transmitsthe broadcast request to the network elements using the cell idaddresses following the conversion of the broadcast target area into thenetwork addresses.
 5. The system of claim 1 wherein the broadcastservice bureau verifies an authority of the broadcast agent to transmitthe broadcast message to the broadcast target area as a function of abroadcast message jurisdiction stored in the broadcast service bureaufor that broadcast agent, the verifying ensuring that the broadcastmessage jurisdiction of the originating broadcast agent includes thebroadcast target area, said broadcast service bureau configured fortransmitting the broadcast message and the broadcast target area to thecarrier broadcast center responsive to a positive verification.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, further comprising a reporter module for reportingthe broadcast message and the broadcast target area.
 7. The system ofclaim 1 wherein the broadcast service bureau further includes adistributor receiving the broadcast message and broadcast target areaand maps the broadcast target area to determine which one or more of themobile telephone networks from among a plurality of mobile telephonenetworks provide broadcast distribution systems serving the broadcasttarget area, and wherein the distributor identifies the one or moremobile telephone networks for the broadcast target area and determineswhether each of the identified mobile telephone has its own carrierbroadcast center.
 8. The system of claim 7 wherein the broadcast servicebureau determines that multiple mobile telephone networks provideservice to at least a portion of the broadcast target area, thebroadcast service bureau transmits the verified broadcast request toeach of the identified multiple mobile telephone networks.
 9. The systemof claim 1 wherein the broadcast request includes one or more broadcastchannel codes, and wherein at least one of the channel codes identifiesthe language of the broadcast message.
 10. A public service messagebroadcast service bureau system providing a broadcast message to anetwork transmission device serving a broadcast target area, the systemcomprising: a webpage server configured for receiving broadcast agentinput from a broadcast agent including a broadcast request having ageographically defined broadcast target area defined as a subset of abroadcast transmission serving area, the broadcast message, and at leastone broadcast channel code; and a computer hosting the webpage over thefirst communication interface, said computer receiving the broadcastagent input, verifying an authority of the particular broadcast agent totransmit the broadcast message to the broadcast target area andtransmitting over the second communication interface the broadcastrequest to one or more carrier broadcast centers serving one or morelocal broadcast transmission systems, the carrier broadcast centersreceiving the broadcast request, converting the broadcast target area tonetwork addresses of network transmission devices serving the broadcasttarget area including determining only those particular networktransmission devices serving at least a portion of the broadcast targetarea, and identifying the network addresses for each particular networktransmission device and transmitting the broadcast message to thenetwork addresses of the particular network transmission devices fortransmission by the particular network transmission devices overbroadcast channels associated with the broadcast channel codes in thebroadcast request.
 11. The system of claim 10 wherein the computerverifies the authority as a function of the broadcast channel codes ofthe broadcast request.
 12. The system of claim 10 wherein the computerverifies the authority of the broadcast agent as a function of abroadcast message jurisdiction of the broadcast agent including thedefined broadcast target area, said system configured for transmittingthe broadcast message to a local broadcast system being responsive tothe authority verification.
 13. The system of claim 10 wherein thecomputer further includes a distributor receiving the broadcast requestand maps the broadcast target area to determine which one or morebroadcast distribution networks from among a plurality of broadcastdistribution networks provide broadcast distribution systems serving thebroadcast target area, and wherein the distributor identifies thebroadcast distribution networks for the broadcast target area anddetermines whether the broadcast distribution network has its owncarrier broadcast center.
 14. The system of claim 10 wherein thecomputer maps the broadcast target area into network addresses andtransmits the broadcast message using the mapped network addresses fordirect network addressing of the broadcast message to remote selectorsfor distribution of the broadcast message within the one or more localbroadcast transmission systems that serve the broadcast target area. 15.A method of public service broadcast messaging to a broadcast targetarea, the method comprising: hosting a broadcast agent webpage;receiving a broadcast request including a geographically definedbroadcast target area, a broadcast message and one or more broadcastchannel codes from the broadcast agent webpage; verifying an authorityof a broadcast agent accessing the broadcast agent webpage andgenerating the broadcast message, the verifying a broadcast messagejurisdiction of the broadcast agent includes the defined broadcasttarget area; determining which network providers have networks thatprovide service to at least a portion of the broadcast target area;converting the broadcast target area to network addresses of one or morenetwork transmission devices for one or more of the determined networkproviders, said converting including determining the networktransmission devices providing transmission service to at least aportion of the broadcast target area and identifying the network addressfor each determined network transmission device; and transmitting thebroadcast message to the network addresses of the determined networktransmission devices of the associated network providers fortransmission of the broadcast message over broadcast channels associatedwith the broadcast channel code to user receiving devices geographicallylocated within the transmission service area and that are configured forreceiving messages on the associated broadcast channels.
 16. The methodof claim 15, further comprising transmitting the broadcast request to acarrier broadcast server that transmits the broadcast request to networkinterfaces of the determined network providers.
 17. The method of claim15 wherein the network transmission devices are wireless transmitterswithin a wireless mobile network having a plurality of individualwireless cell sites each serving a geographic serving area and whereinthe geographic serving areas of the network transmission devices are theindividual wireless sites served by the wireless transmitters andwherein the user receiving devices are wireless telephone receivingdevices.
 18. The method of claim 15 wherein verifying includes verifyingthe authority as a function of the broadcast channel codes of thebroadcast request.
 19. The method of claim 15, further comprisingreceiving the broadcast message and the broadcast channel code at one ofthe network transmission devices identified by one of the networkaddresses and transmitting the broadcast message over a broadcastchannel associated with the received broadcast channel code.
 20. Themethod of claim 19, further comprising receiving the broadcast messageby a user receiving device from the broadcast transmission device onlywhen the user receiving device has activated the broadcast channelassociated with the broadcast channel code.